By ZONG Shihan

In Kenya, wild animals such as giraffes migrate through the Mombasa-Nairobi Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) area, using passageways especially created for them to cross in safety. It's a spectacle of harmony between man and wildlife on the vast grasslands of East Africa.

Wild animals near the Mombasa-Nairobi Standard Gauge Railway. (PHOTO: VCG)

In eastern Pakistan, the Karot hydropower station shines like a pearl on the Jhelum River, providing clean energy equivalent to the annual power needs of approximately five million people.

These two projects, located in different regions, are both part of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), which marked its 10th anniversary in 2023. Over the past decade, China has worked with numerous countries to integrate green development across all BRI sectors, driving economic growth for partner nations while contributing Chinese solutions to global environmental governance.

中国方案应对全球挑战

Since the launch of the BRI, China has advanced a series of green development initiatives, transforming from a participant to a leader in global ecological governance.

In 2015, China proposed promoting the concept of ecological civilization in overseas investments, strengthening cooperation on biodiversity conservation, climate change response, and jointly building the Green Silk Road.

From 2017 to 2022, China released key policy documents including the Guidance on Promoting Green Belt and Road, the Belt and Road Ecological and Environmental Cooperation Plan, and the Green Investment Principles for the Belt and Road, providing a clear roadmap for sustainable cooperation.

As of November 2023, China had signed over 200 BRI cooperation agreements with more than 150 countries and over 30 international organizations, with green development as a core component.

The Belt and Road International Alliance for Green Development has brought together more than 150 Chinese and foreign partners, organized over 70 thematic events, and extended its influence to over 160 countries and regions.

携手共建绿色世界

Over the past decade, China has achieved notable progress in green infrastructure, renewable energy, and sustainable transportation, delivering tangible benefits to BRI partner countries.

During the construction of the Mombasa-Nairobi SGR in 2014, concerns arose over its route through Kenya’s largest wildlife reserve. Drawing on experience from China’s Qinghai-Tibet Railway, engineers designed 14 large wildlife corridors and 79 bridges along migration routes. All passages have a clearance height exceeding 6.5 meters—tall enough for giraffes to pass without lowering their heads.

Marco Lambertini, Special Envoy of the World Wildlife Fund, praised Chinese enterprises for demonstrating that infrastructure development can coexist with environmental protection.

The Karot Hydropower Station, a flagship project under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, generates an average of 3.2 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity annually. The project saves approximately 1.4 million tons of standard coal each year and reduces carbon dioxide emissions by around 3.5 million tons, supporting Pakistan’s energy transition and contributing to global carbon neutrality goals.

As UN Secretary-General António Guterres noted, the Green Silk Road is a vital tool to move beyond outdated models and forge a new path that benefits both people and the planet.

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Editor | SONG Ziyan

Supervisor | TIAN Xueke